Circum-Decision

Should I circumcise my child? Here are the arguments for and against.

The mystique of Bris Milah is as old as Judaism itself. Throughout the generations, this mitzvah has been the pilot light, making sure that our spark would never be extinguished. For no matter how high the assimilation rate would rise, the importance of Bris, the seal of a covenant with God dating back to Abraham, was never questioned. Bris remained sacred to Jews of all stripes.

But now, for the first time in our history, that reassuring flame has begun to flicker.

"My husband and I are both Jewish, not practicing in the traditional sense, and we are debating whether to circumcise our son, soon-to-be born. We both have some problems with circumcision, and are researching a Jewish organization that opposes circumcision."

So speaks a young American woman on a popular radio talk show, sharing her willingness to give up a 3,000-year-old legacy, based on the little she knows about the procedure, and almost nothing about its meaning.

The tip of a large organic carrot was severed.

Yes, this woman may represent a negligible minority. But anti-circumcision literature is proliferating rapidly through the Internet and on the airwaves, planting thoughts in people's minds. Here is one example, which would be comical if it weren't so sad, from "Mothering" magazine:

Last year a baby boy was born to Jewish parents. The parents wanted to give the child a Bris without inflicting the pain of circumcision. On the eighth day friends were invited to their home. A friend who is a rabbinical student read the appropriate scriptures, blessed the child with a Hebrew name, and at the time of circumcision, a large organic carrot was produced and the tip severed. It was a joyous moment for all involved... Perhaps this is the alternative some of you may have been looking for.

Facing the Issues

Let's address three of the most common arguments against circumcision.

Issue #1 – "It's cruel."

I can't do something barbaric to my child. It will psychologically scar him for life!"

Let's be honest. No matter how undeveloped an 8-day-old baby's pain receptors may be, it is obvious that between the diaper change, exposure to cold, and the excitement of the event, the baby would rather be sleeping than having a Bris.

Yet many observations made about pain levels are based on medical circumcisions, which have little in common with a traditional Bris. The methods are different, the circumstances are different, and the results are different.

For instance, a hospital circumcision, done far from the baby's mother, is performed with painful clamps and can take up to 15 minutes. By contrast, the work of a mohel, with concerned "bubbies" looking over each shoulder, is completed in seconds.

A mohel, with concerned bubbies onlooking, completes his work in seconds.

In the hospital, the baby's hands and feet are strapped down to an impersonal and restrictive circumcision board, while at a Bris he rests on the reassuring lap of a caring grandfather.

These and other differences were noted in 1997 by the Associated Press, which reported that "Jewish circumcisions are gentler" than those performed in secular settings, and that "mohels, the deft practitioners of the ancient Jewish rite of circumcision, appear to inflict less pain on their newborn subjects than most doctors do."

Psychological scars, anesthetic requirements, barbarism and cruelty – this speaks of hospital-style circumcisions. In the words of one Californian mohel, "If I had to do a Bris using the hospital's technique, I would not want to be a mohel."

Issue #2 – Human Rights

"Why should I impose the Bris on my child without giving him a choice? It's a violation of basic human rights!"

This represents a philosophical flaw in modern parenting.

As parents, we are expected to impose on our children. And we do this as a matter of fact. Don't we choose their clothes, babysitters, and schools? Don't we decide on inoculations which come with their own pain and degree of risk? Don't we impose our values and behavioral standards?

How many of the things that are important to us (e.g. good character) do we wait for our children to choose for themselves? Would we allow them to cheat and steal until they get older so they can formulate their own opinion about those behaviors?

Don't we decide on inoculations which come with their own pain and degree of risk?

Responsible parents try to ingrain values within their children in the hope that when they grow up, they will embrace them as well. Is that an unfair imposition, or is that our job as parents?

Shouldn't we do the same for Jewish identity and values? If the Bris is the symbol of one's Jewishness, why can't we "impose" it, with all that it represents, on our child at birth?

One might argue: "But circumcision is different because it is permanent." True, but impressions made on a child's mind and heart are just as permanent. The way spouses interact, the method of parental discipline – in fact everything parents do – deeply affects their children. We, as parents often forget how empowered we really are over our children, and the Bris is only the first of many "impositions" we make upon them.

If Judaism is important, then parents have a responsibility to introduce children to it at the earliest age. Otherwise they may never reclaim it again. Even Leopold Zunz, a 19th century leader of radical reform Judaism, observed: "Circumcision is not a mere ceremony... The son who, on principle remained uncircumcised, will hardly, on principle, remain in Judaism."

Issue #3 – Hypocrisy?

"We feel like hypocrites! We are not religiously observant, so why should we perform this mitzvah?"

Parents with this concern will be happy to know there is room for inconsistency with regards to Bris Milah. In Zechariah 9:11-12, the prophet predicts that at the end of days, the only Jewish merit will be that of Bris; all else will have been forsaken. Nachmanides explains:

At the time these prophecies were made, they must have surely sounded strange.

Ongoing Jewish tradition reflects these prophecies. The Midrash explains that during the days of Elijah the Prophet, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel led the Jews astray and, among other things, in rebellion against the mitzvah of Bris Milah. This distressed Elijah, and he decreed that the heavens should withhold rain. Seeing this, God reassured Elijah that Jews would recommit to Bris Milah and remain committed to it forever, regardless of how far they would stray.

God then appointed Elijah as the ongoing "Angel of Circumcision" to witness the Jews fulfilling the Bris. This is why we designate a chair for Elijah at every Bris.

At the time these prophecies were made, they must have surely sounded strange. After all, who would have thought that the one mitzvah to withstand assimilation would be that which imposes elective surgery on a helpless child? Yet incredibly, these prophecies have found fulfillment in recent times.

As Dr. Peter C. Remondino, one of San Diego's most active and well-known physicians during the turn of the 20th century, observed:

The Mark of a Jew

All this said, we are still left to wonder, "Why Bris?" Couldn't God have chosen a less intrusive symbol of faith – like, Tefillin, or tzitzit, or a kippah?

To speak intelligently about Jewish symbols, we ought to first explain what a Jew is. Exodus 19:6 defines the Jews as a "kingdom of priests and a holy people." According to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, holy people are "moral masters over all of their energies and natural tendencies," with the product of that mastery being holiness itself.

Holy people are moral masters over all of their energies and natural tendencies.

This concept is uniquely Jewish. Religions have very different views about the sexual drive – the strongest, and therefore most representative of "energies and natural tendencies." The pagans espoused excessive, uninhibited sexual expression. Other belief systems have a begrudging concept of marriage and condemn all sexual activity as inherently sinful.

Judaism, true to its calling to holiness, promotes a balance by which man can master and optimize – not stifle or submit to – his energies.

This dynamic is explained by Lord William Rees-Mogg, former editor of The Times of London:

In the attempts which have been made to harness nuclear fusion – the power of the hydrogen bomb rather than that of the atom bomb – the problem which has so far defeated the scientists has been to control the energy of the reaction. Attempts have been made to hold the plasma of energy together, for only the briefest of periods, by wrapping it in a magnetic field from which it cannot break out. That wrapping is called a magnetic bottle.

In the same way, the energy of the Jewish people has been enclosed in a different type of container – the law. That has acted as a bottle inside which this spiritual and intellectual energy could be held; only because it could be held has it been possible to make use of it. It has not merely exploded or been dispersed; it has been harnessed as a continuous power. If energy is not contained, it cannot be used over an indefinite period; uncontrolled energy is merely a big and usually destructive bang. In human nature, only disciplined energy is effective.

Indeed, the Torah is the magnetic bottle that enables us to master our "energies and tendencies." It is the master plan that provides the discipline for bringing holiness to the world. And it is the Bris that serves as the permanent reminder of our commitment, at all times and under all circumstances, to that "chosen" task.

War of the Worlds

Bris represents the Jewish mission of ethics and holiness, a point that even our enemies have understood:

It is true, we are barbarians. It is an honored title to us. I free humanity from the shackles of the soul, from the degrading suffering caused by the false vision called conscience and ethics. The Jews have inflicted two wounds on mankind: circumcision on its body and a conscience on its soul. These are Jewish inventions.

The war for domination of the world is waged only between the two of us, between these two camps alone, the Germans and the Jews. Everything else is but deception.

Thus spoke Adolf Hitler.

If World War Two was waged against "the Jewish inventions of circumcision and ethics," then we are still at war. And it is the parents of every newborn Jewish boy that stand at the frontlines of this battle, armed with the decision whether to choose Bris or not.

Our generation has been desperately trying to find ways to perpetuate the memory of the 6 million and eradicate that of their oppressors. The right choice will help strike a blow at the Nazi cause, to erect the most meaningful monument to our martyred millions.

What can we do? Build museums? Hold remembrance ceremonies?

More than anything, the answer is Bris Milah. There is something so central to Bris Milah that for its merit alone, we can be redeemed – even if nothing else is kept. So trust your Jewish instinct. Recognize, and don't resist, the mystique of Milah, for as Spinoza observed, "it alone would preserve the nation forever."

Bris is the ultimate statement of Jewish identification. And that is something that cutting a carrot can never achieve.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 22

(21)
Tomas,
August 3, 2012 6:16 PM

disagreement with #2

With all due respect for Rabbi Frank, I have to strongly disagree with his approach in the section titled Issue #2. Applying the very same logic, my bigoted Roman Catholic mother used to impose things upon me which were a source of unimaginable pain and humiliation for me. My mother was all the time convinced that she was ordained by God to behave that way . I do acknowledge the fact that the Bris is part of the Holy Covenant between the Jewish people and HaShem. At the same time, I am convinced that there is a far bigger philosophical flaw in Rabbi's Frank reasoning than in modern parenting. Using Rabbi Frank's paradigm, one would enavitably arrive at the conclusion that HaShem also grants idolaters their right to force their children into becoming idolaters as well. Then, of course, Avraham would never have revolted against his father Terach.

(20)
Miriam,
July 25, 2012 5:39 PM

There are many significant health benefits

to having a bris.

(19)
Beverly Kurtin,
September 12, 2010 9:25 PM

Remember this:

An uncircumcised Jewish child is.....a GIRL!

(18)
David Blackman,
July 13, 2006 12:00 AM

Public badly informed on circumcision

Over the years I have noted 3 key points rarely aired in the circumcison debate.

The only opinion that anti-circumcisionists respect is their own. Over the years they have used every trick of the trade to impose their views onto the general public, thru guilt tripping, playing on people's emotions/prejudices and even harrassments. Quite a number of doctors who oppose their views have felt the fury of these groups.

While much of the discussions on circumcision is focused on infant circumcision, there has been very little discussion on the increase of post-natal circumcisions for the ongoing problems that uncircumcised males do go thru. As the rates of circumcision decrease in the US and Canada, the rates of post-natal circumcision will increase.

What is rarely discussed is the real agenda of anti-circumcisionists. They want an International Law passed against all forms of male circumcision. Already members of the US Congress and Senate are being petitioned by anti-circumcision groups and individuals to this end.

What few North Americans are aware of is the fact that a man's circumcision status was used by Nazi Germany in their exterimination of the Jewish People.

During the Soviet Regime, it was against the law for any Soviet male, including Soviet Jews/Moslems to be circumcised, and Soviet doctors were employed by the Soviet Govt to ensure that this law was carried.

If anti-circumcisionists had there way in North America, such a law would apply to all Americans and Canadians.

Already they are interferring in the religious beliefs of Jewish and Moslem North Americans. They have convinced a number of State/Provincial health depts to remove neo-natal circumcision coverage from health plans, and anyone who opposes their view are inudated with nasty and even threatening e-mails.

If the present trends continue, it will be only a question of time, before it will be illegal for any North American male to be circumcised, whether it is for religious or other reasons.

Fear and intimidation has been the hallmark of the anti-circumcision movement, and unfortunately many members of the General Public who have bought into their rhetoric, are finding out thru having to have their sons undergo a post-natal circumcision that they were not fully informed on the circumcision issue.

The public is being inudated with alot of anti-circumcision point of views, rather than a balance/unbiased presentation, and this needs addressing.

(17)
dr tariq,
June 2, 2005 12:00 AM

exellent new idias about circumcission i agree

(16)
Dan,
January 6, 2003 12:00 AM

stop being afraid of religion and life!!!

Just what we need another anti-religion web site. I am jewish, raised conservative, pratcicing reform. I was hesitant for the bris, extremely because of what I thought was tremendous pain. But then I did some research and got informed. First, it is commonplace that your pediatrition will perscribe EMLA cream, a numbing cream that you apply to the penis one hour prior to the bris. EMLA was approved by EVERY mohel we talked to. Also we talked to several mohels until we found one with whom we were comfortable. I held my son's legs rather than having him restrained in the velcro straps, that was good for both of us. Stop being afraid and get educated. My son cries more when he's hungry than during the bris.

Hannah,
July 29, 2012 4:50 PM

Did you even read the article?

Just wondering.

(15)
ramene,
August 19, 2002 12:00 AM

Simply Put . . .

If you believe in God you believe in circumcision! Why are we always looking for "benefits" when it is something that God has said we must do?!

(14)
Anonymous,
March 24, 2002 12:00 AM

medical reasons for circumcision on eighth day

I have been searching the internet for a
while and I have yet to find any medical
research on which day is the best. I finally had to research my own library
at home. My findings amazed me and reaffirmed my faith in God and his over-
whelming fountain of knowledge. On the eighth day of a child's life, their level of Vitamin K, a vitamin which contributes to the process of blood-clotting and prevents hemorraging,
is the highest it will probably ever be
in their entire life.( Sometimes up to
110%!)The Israelites didn't know this,
but God did.

(13)
Jack Sowers,
January 5, 2002 12:00 AM

Circumcision as an adult

I am one of those, apparently rare individuals, circumcised as an adult, at age 20. It was a medical circumcision. I am not Jewish ethnically, that I know of, but certainly enjoy a spritiual bond and a deep abiding interest in "Jewish" ideas. Nevertheless, I suffered no immediate nor long term effects. My life has been drmatically better because of it. My difficulty is no doubt connected with having sensitive skin in general. The condition that developed was not a result of improper self care. For what it is worth: I have had a wonderful sexual life.

(12)
Geoff Dennis,
December 25, 2001 12:00 AM

very useful article ideed

Having recently attended a siyyum (meal) for a close friend who chose at the age of 20 to have a bris(he is Jewish but was never circumcised), I have a keen interest in this subject. The author's most persuasive argument in favour of bris is the commemoration of the 6 million. It is however rather bizarre that this mitzvah (which was a covenant between Avraham and Hashem) is still widely practiced despite extensive assimilation. I was recently informed that 98% of Israeli parents circumsice their sons. Considering the widespread secularism (and consequent loss of customs) currently afflicting the Holy Land, that is a staggering statistic.

(11)
Anonymous,
December 25, 2001 12:00 AM

One of Hitler's soldiers is "Political Correctness"

Those against Bris Mila, for the sake of molding Torah to their own (and made-on-the-fly) conveniency, are just resonators to the surrounding "supermarket of ethics" in which morals are picked up based on: "I like this but not that".
That is suicidal. Something that the ultra-assimilated Jews of pre-WWII found out.
The price for forsaking Torah committment is, in the long run, very high.
One of the things that are stalling my conversion process is the apalling, huge numbers of Jews who see Torah as something that can be disposed of at will.
As my journey continues, it seems to me that nothing short that an Orthodox conversion would keep me "inside the magnetic bottle" that this most interesting article mentions.

(10)
Derek Lazzara,
December 22, 2001 12:00 AM

A liberating act.

As an adult convert, I fail to understand the difficulty so many parents have with Bris Mila. I went through a much more private version of the Bris at the age of thirty-six and found the result to be physically, emotionally and spiritually liberating. Controlling our energies does not diminish them, but rather brings a focus, direction and intensity to our intimate expressions that would otherwise be unattainable.

(9)
jenny rains,
December 20, 2001 12:00 AM

bris gentler indeed.

I was a nurse for many years and observed many circumcisions in the hospital. When my grandson was circumcised one of the same doctors (who had been a mohel for the community) did the bris. The whole setting and procedure was so much gentler than I had seen in the hospital
nursery.

(8)
Anonymous,
December 19, 2001 12:00 AM

mohel vs. surgeon

My husband and I, though not terribly Orthodox, never even considered NOT using a mohel to circumsize our son. However, a friend and her husband had an interesting experience. Wanting to spare their son as much trauma as possible, they asked a prominent surgeon about this. He said, "Of course, if you want me to, I will, but I can tell you that, if it were MY son, I would use a mohel." Thanks for an interesting article.

(7)
Mary Ann Fordyce,
December 19, 2001 12:00 AM

It's tradition...

We may not understand this ritual in the physical world... but be assured that this everlasting covenant has a reason in the world to come.

(6)
Anonymous,
December 17, 2001 12:00 AM

Excellent article, but...

Thank you, I am active in an international men's group, the ManKind Project (www.MKP.org). There are many men (gentiles) that are against circumcision, the subject gets a fair amount of attnetion. Your discussion of the hopsital vs the mohel method is most enlightening. My one criticism, and I mena no offense, is that most American Jews of child bearing/rearing age use the Sephardic or Israeli pronounciation of Hebrew. My grandson had a brit milah, not a bris. I wonder if you would attract more with a different spelling, and i judge that is important that you attract more. Thank you for wirting this.

(5)
Anonymous,
December 17, 2001 12:00 AM

Bris

Hi my comment is about having bris done. I believe that it doesn't matter if we are obbservant Jews or not the bris should still be done, we are Jews and all jewish boys should have a brit. It's a big mitsvah for the boy and the parents.

(4)
Harry Pearle,
December 16, 2001 12:00 AM

Offering Advice for Mohels, too ?

Much thanks for your thoughts. I wonder if you are available to give advice to MOHELS, as well.

Here in Rochester, NY, we have one certified, Orthodox mohel. Unfortunately, most Jewish families, here, are not using him. Your advice to our mohel would be valuable. I suggested the udea of having a 'Happy Bris Day.' Perhaps you would be available to consult with Rochester's mohel about spreading the word.

Again, thanks for your comments. Shalom/Harry Pearle

(3)
JOHN MARTIN,
December 16, 2001 12:00 AM

Medical Benefits

I disagree with circumcision for any reason EXCEPT the religious. The "medical benefit" is a specious argument except for normally filthy men. Would the flesh around ones mouth be removed to prevent bacteria from growing on the teeth? The medical answer is "wash it, dry it and put it away". Selling circumcision for any reason other than the religious is witch-doctoring, and unnecessary disfiguring of the human form. If we are taught to wash our hand, how foolish not to wash this other appendage, and this circumcised or not!

(2)
Anonymous,
December 16, 2001 12:00 AM

Question,question,question!!!!

If I was interested in blind obedience, I'd be a Christian. I'll let my son's decide if Bris Milah is beautiful or barbaric. In the meantime I choose free will. As far as the circumcised man remaining cleaner...personal hygiene has come a long way in recent years. And in case you're wondering...I am!

(1)
Anonymous,
December 9, 2001 12:00 AM

Don't forget the medical benefits.

That it is the sign of are covenant with G-d is reason enough, but there is also the medical benefit that a circumcised man can remain cleaner. This means that he is less likely to become infected or infect his spouse. This alone should be enough to warrant circumcision in this modern day and age.

I always loved the story of Jonah and the whale. Why do we read it during the afternoon service of Yom Kippur?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Let's recap the story: God tells Jonah to go to Ninveh and to prophesy that in 40 days, God will destroy the city. Instead, Jonah goes to Jaffa, boards a ship, and sails for Tarshish. A great storm arises. Frightened, Jonah goes to sleep in the ship's hold. The sailors somehow recognize that Jonah is responsible for the storm. They throw him overboard, and the sea becomes calm.

A great fish swallows Jonah. Then three days later, God commands the fish to spit Jonah back out upon dry land. God tells Jonah, "Let's try it again. Go to Ninveh and tell them in 40 days I will destroy the city."

The story is a metaphor for our struggle for clarity. Jonah is the soul. The soul is assigned to sanctify the world, and draw it close to God. But we are seduced by the world's beauty. (Jaffa in Hebrew means "beauty.") The ship is the body, the sea is the world, and the storm is life's pains and troubles. God hopes confrontation with mortality will inspire us to examine our lives. But Jonah's is the more common response - we go to sleep (have a beer, turn on the television). The sailors throw Jonah overboard - this is death. The fish that swallows Jonah is the grave. Jonah is spat back upon the land - reincarnation. And the Almighty tells us to try again. "Go sanctify the world and bring it close to God."

Each of us is born with an opportunity and a challenge. We each have unique gifts to offer the world and unique challenges to perfect ourselves. If we leave the task unfinished the first time, we get a second chance. Jonah teaches us that repentance can reverse a harsh decree. If the residents of Ninveh had the ability to correct their mistakes and do teshuva, how much more so do we have the ability to correct our former mistakes and do teshuva.

(source: "The Bible for the Clueless But Curious," by Rabbi Nachum Braverman)

In 1948, Egypt launched a large-scale offensive against the Negev region of Israel. This was part of the War of Independence, an attack by five Arab armies designed to "drive the Jews into the sea." Though the Jews were under-armed, untrained, and few in number, through ingenuity and perseverance they staved off the attacks and secured the borders. Yet the price was high -- Israel lost 6,373 of its people, a full one percent of the Jewish population of Israel at the time.

And what does teshuvah consist of? [Repentance to the degree] that the One Who knows all that is hidden will testify that he will never again repeat this sin(Maimonides, Laws of Teshuvah 2:2).

"How can this be?" ask the commentaries. "Inasmuch as man always has free choice to do good or evil, to sin or not to sin, how can God testify that a person will never repeat a particular sin? Is this not a repudiation of one's free will?"

The answer to this came to me at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, at which the speaker, a man who had been sober for twenty-one years, said, "The man I was drank. The man I was will drink again. But now I am a different man."

A sin does not occur in a vacuum. A person who is devout does not abruptly decide to eat treifah. A sin occurs when a person is in such a state that a particular act is not anathema to him.

Consequently, repentance is not complete if one merely regrets having done wrong. One must ask, "How did this sin ever come about? In what kind of a state was I that permitted me to commit this sin?"

True repentance thus consists of changing one's character to the point where, as the person is now, one can no longer even consider doing the forbidden act. Of course, the person's character may deteriorate - and if it does, he may sin again.

God does not testify that the person will never repeat the sin, but rather that his degree of repentance and correction of his character defects are such that, as long as he maintains his new status, he will not commit that sin.

Today I shall...

try to understand how I came to do those things that I regret having done, and bring myself to a state where such acts will be alien to me.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...